contents

March 2012 | Volume 21 | Number 6

COVER: Fielding West — Chasing Funny

By Alan Howard

Fielding West has been a performer of magic, hypnotism, sideshow skills, and more. After being inspired by another act who would soon become famous, Fielding realized the road to his success was paved with wild and crazy comedy.

A League of Illusionists

By Alan Howard

Take seven magicians from across the globe, give them each a character to portray, and craft a show in which they perform individually and together — and that's what the Sydney Opera House did, with great success.

Lost At Sea

By Mago Martin

On January 13, the Costa Concordia sank into the sea and leapt into the headlines. When the cruise ship ran aground, many of the passengers on board were watching the magic show of Mago Martin. Here, in an exclusive account, Martin gives his tale of the fateful night.

Social Media For Magicians, Part 3

By Rachel Stoll Armstrong & Tiffany Hindman

Wrapping up our three-part series on modern trends in marketing and promotion, we turn to social bookmarking, and other ways to let people know who you are and where your interests lie.

The Coolest Person in the Room

By Shawn McMaster

"He's smooth; a James Bond-like character." That's how the magician describes his stage persona in his act with doves and classic manipulation. Now back after a hiatus of several years, we take a look at Douglas — Mike Douglas.

Illusion Fusion

Illusion Fusion, which premiered on January 12 at the Golden Cabaret of the Horizon Casino in Lake Tahoe is the newest magic show produced and directed by Tony Clark. The star of the show is Alex Ramon, who Tony believes is "the next up-and-coming guy in magic."

Houdini Lives on in Death

Garnering enthusiastic, four-star reviews in the Chicago press, Death and Harry Houdini returned to The House Theatre January 21. Befitting the title, the show portrays the illusionist as a man bent on defeating his own mortality. This is the third incarnation of the show, which was originally staged in 2001.

After the Fire

The Magic Castle is sporting something of a new look these days, having reopened after repairs necessitated by the fire that occurred on the roof of the Hollywood landmark last Halloween. The traditional Founders Day celebration — commemorating the January 2, 1963 opening of the club — was moved back to January 13 this year, the day of the official reopening.

Plus...

A report on the seventh annual Session Convention in the UK, news of the three new magic shows opening in February in Las Vegas, and sad farewells to Francis Martineau and Tony Giorgio.

Talk About Tricks

Joshua Jay

Even Better Reactions

Chris Randall shares the strangest use for a double-backed card ever to see print, while we explore a technologically advanced way to perform one of the best-selling marketed effects of the last two decades. The rest of the issue contains four smart, useable card ideas, rounding out another informative installment of "Talk About Tricks."

The Almighty Dollar

Gregory Wilson

ChapSchtick

For pure impossibility, it's my estimation that object-to-impossible-location is one of the most astonishing effects one can perform — and it's even better if you can use the magnetism of money.

The classics are Bill to Lemon, Bill to Cigar, Bill to Wallet, and now introducing: Bill to ChapStick!

Directions

Joanie Spina

#3. Scripting & Performance

In the previous two months, we touched on entrances and act structure. This article pertains to performers who speak, and we'll examine several different aspects of scripting your lines. Too often we hear the same old patter, familiar jokes repeated in numerous performers' acts. It is tiresome and says little for your creativity and effort to bring the audience something that is unique to you.

Loving Mentalism

Ian Rowland

Gold from Good Air

Francisco has a spectator choose a card, look at it, and keep it temporarily hidden from view. He then invites the spectator to draw any kind of random squiggle. Francisco takes the pen and highlights certain areas of the spectator's squiggly line — two curves that form a shape like a numeral three, then a diamond shape. Having shown everyone that these shapes really are contained in the line the spectator drew, he deduces that she was subliminally conveying three and diamond. Sure enough, the spectator's card is the Three of Diamonds!

For What It's Worth

Mark Kornhauser

ME ME ME ME

OMG. Timothy Leary was right. It's time to "drop out." I started dropping out right around My Space, dabbled briefly with Facebook, and Tweeted maybe twice. I'm still Linked-In, if I can remember my password — but basically, I'm done with social media. How is that supposed to work for everyone, especially those of us who really, really want to be at the center of attention? I mean, don't we need to be at the center of attention, at least long enough to make a living? These amateur egocentrics are ruining it for us professional egocentrics.